Pakatan makes ‘big’ inroads in Borneo

Pakatan Rakyat candidates slayed four federal ministers - three in Sabah and one in Sarawak.

KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Rakyat made impressive inroads in Sabah and Sarawak in the 13th general election which ended yesterday.

In 2008, Pakatan was hardly visible in these states.

As at 2am this morning, Pakatan candidates had slayed four federal ministers – three in Sabah and one in Sarawak.

They were VK Liew, Bernard Dompok and Joseph Kurup from Sabah and Yong Koon Seng from Sarawak.

In Sabah, Pakatan wrested five parliament and 10 state seats.

Among the parliamentary seats that Sabah Barisan Nasional lost were Sandakan (Liew), Penampang (Dompok), Pensiangan (Kurup), Tuaran, Beaufort and Kota Kinabalu (Wong Tze Phin).

Liew, who helms the Liberal Democratic Party, lost to DAP’s Wong Ken Fatt in a straight fight, while Dompok, who heads Upko, lost to a PKR greenhorn Darrel Leiking in a three-cornered battle.

Kurup, the PBRS president meanwhile lost the Pensiangan seat to PKR’s Richard Gunting.

Pakatan also took away state seats in Klias, Moyog, Sri Tanjung, Kepayan, Lyang, Likas, Api-Api and Inanam.

STAR chief Jeffrey Kitingan wrested the Bingkor state seat.

Counting is still underway in several polling centres and speculations are rife that more seats could fall to the opposition.

In the 2008 general election Musa Aman-led Sabah BN lost only one seat each in the parliament and state constituencies.

On Friday it was reported that Musa was confident of securing 40 of Sabah’s 60 state seats and was battling to neutralise the “black” and “grey” constituencies.

Reluctant Yong loses seat

Meanwhile in Sarawak, Chinese dominated SUPP was wiped out save for its Dayak majority seat in Serian, retained by Richard Riot.

Pakatan won six seats compared to only one in the 2008 polls.

SUPP lost its Stampin, Sarikei and Lanang seats to DAP, while the Miri seat went to PKR. DAP retained its hold on Kuching and Sibu.

But perhaps the most surprising loss was the Stampin seat.

Veteran incumbent and federal Minister Yong Khoon Seng, was persuaded out of ‘retirement’ by SUPP and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to defend his seat in a bid to save the party.

Yong garnered 15,412 votes against DAP Julian Tan’s 26,576.

Unlike other states, Sarawak had its state level election in 2011. DAP and PKR collectively won 15 seats. The victory spurred their assault on the parliamentary seats.

Sarawak BN retained 25 of its 31 parliamentary seat.